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The document details the environmental and health impacts of Alberta's coal-fired power plants, noting that in 2014, 68% of the province's electricity was generated from coal. It highlights that these plants are significant sources of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, fine particulate matter, mercury, and greenhouse gases, with 2011 emissions totaling 43 megatonnes of GHG. The authors propose a transition plan to reach 0% coal reliance by 2030, increasing renewable energy to 40% and reducing electricity demand through energy efficiency by 20%. The strategy discourages increased reliance on stand-alone natural gas due to production-related GHG emissions and suggests mechanisms for phase-out such as legislated closures, lifespan caps, or carbon pricing.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment warns that gas-powered data centres in Alberta pose significant health risks, including air pollution from nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, noise pollution, and contamination from PFAS. The document highlights that these facilities place additional strain on water security and already overburdened rural healthcare systems, particularly affecting vulnerable populations such as children, older adults, and those with chronic illnesses.

The document outlines the environmental and health risks associated with Alberta's reliance on coal-fired power plants, noting that in 2014, 68 per cent of the province's electricity was generated from coal. It highlights that these plants are major sources of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and mercury, leading to increased respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Using the Illness Cost of Air Pollution (ICAP) model for 2008, the document estimates that coal plant pollution caused over 100 deaths and cost approximately $300 million per year in health impacts. Additionally, it links coal plants to climate change, noting they were responsible for 18% of Alberta's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2011, and warns of future climate-related health risks for Albertans, such as increased heat waves and flooding.

Health professionals from 30 countries call on G7 nations to phase out coal power to reduce air pollution and climate-related health risks. The document highlights that coal plants release sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury, contributing to millions of premature deaths and significant healthcare costs. It advocates for renewable energy and energy efficiency as viable alternatives, noting successful phase-outs in regions like Ontario and the UK.

The document highlights the severe health and environmental risks associated with the 300 square kilometers of tailings ponds in northern Alberta, noting unusually high cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan and the presence of toxic chemicals like arsenic and benzene. It criticizes the industry for underestimating air pollution and failing to report spills, while calling for an Indigenous-led health study and a moratorium on tailings pond growth.

The document outlines how climate mitigation strategies in Canada—such as phasing out coal, reducing building energy use, transitioning transportation, and shifting to plant-based diets—can simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health outcomes by reducing air pollution and obesity.

The document outlines how health professionals can act as trusted messengers to educate the public on climate-related health risks, engage peers through academic and professional channels, and influence policy-makers. It emphasizes focusing on climate policies that offer immediate health co-benefits and healthcare savings, while encouraging institutional changes such as fossil fuel divestment in universities and professional associations. The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) supports these efforts through regional volunteer committees in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and other applicants argue that the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) has engaged in greenwashing by marketing natural gas as a clean and affordable energy source. The document asserts that natural gas has a lifecycle climate impact comparable to coal, causes significant indoor and outdoor pollution, and is less affordable than heat pumps, especially as carbon pricing increases. The applicants request a Competition Bureau inquiry, a public retraction of the claims, and a $10 million fine.

The blueprint proposes a three-goal layered regulatory strategy to reduce oil and gas methane emissions: achieving immediate reductions via equipment and work practice standards, implementing compliance and emissions reporting, and continuously improving for deeper cuts. It emphasizes the use of OGMP 2.0 standards for MRV and suggests that import standards can be used to align foreign supplier emissions with domestic requirements.

The document outlines the necessity of shared CO2 transport and storage 'hubs' to enable the decarbonization of emissions-intensive industries and the deployment of Direct Air Capture in the U.S. It identifies critical barriers—including high costs, a 'chicken-and-egg' challenge between capture and transport, and the need for future-proof capacity—and proposes the SCALE Act as a solution. The Act includes programs for cost-sharing storage hubs, increased EPA permitting funding, FEED grants, and low-interest loans via the CO2 Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (CIFIA). The text notes that while the U.S. has 5,000 miles of existing CO2 pipelines, it lacks the comprehensive federal policy support seen in Canada, the EU, Norway, the UK, and Australia.

The report finds that South African environmental laws generally lack mandatory disclosure requirements for licences and compliance data, relying instead on the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). This contrasts with jurisdictions like Australia and Canada, where public registries are more common. Analysis of multinational companies shows they typically disclose information only where legally required. The report recommends making disclosure mandatory for all licence holders and establishing central online public registries.

The document argues that hydraulic fracturing in South Africa's Karoo Basin is likely to induce seismicity and that current proposed regulations are insufficient. It recommends the implementation of a risk-based Traffic Light Protocol (TLP) and a transparent, multi-tiered earthquake monitoring system to mitigate risks of building damage and public harm.

The report warns that NAFTA and the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement (FTA) treat water as a commodity, potentially preventing Canada from restricting large-scale water exports to the U.S. and Mexico. It details massive proposed projects like NAWAPA and the GRAND Canal, and identifies trends—such as the rise of water marketing and the impacts of global warming—that increase the likelihood of these transfers. The authors recommend forming a North American Water Task Force and pursuing legal frameworks that prioritize ecological and indigenous values over economic ones.

The document argues that ISDS creates a 'regulatory chill' that discourages states from implementing climate policies due to the risk of expensive arbitration and compensation for 'stranded assets' in the fossil fuel sector. It suggests two main paths for reform: either terminating investment treaties and moving toward domestic courts and state-state dispute settlement, or adopting a 'legal tool-box' of procedural changes. These changes include a 'climate carve-out' to dismiss claims against good-faith climate measures, requiring the exhaustion of local remedies, allowing state counterclaims, banning third-party funding, and adjusting compensation calculations to account for public interest and climate impacts.

Alberta faces significant economic risks due to its high concentration of workers and GDP tied to transition-vulnerable sectors, particularly oil and gas. While the province has established a foothold in low-carbon electricity, hydrogen, and CCUS, growth is hindered by mixed policy signals and a geographic mismatch between new opportunity companies in cities and vulnerable workers in rural areas.

The document analyzes Alberta's position in the global energy transition, highlighting a tension between emerging low-carbon investments and a continued reliance on the oil and gas sector. While the province shows strength in carbon-free electricity and industrial transition technologies, it faces significant risks due to workforce concentration in vulnerable sectors and contradictory political signals that may hinder large-scale decarbonization.

Atlantic Canada faces significant fiscal and economic risks due to its reliance on oil, gas, and coal, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick. While the region shows momentum in clean technology—led by Nova Scotia—and possesses strong natural resource advantages in wind, hydro, and tidal energy, scaling these opportunities is hindered by a lack of capital, a shortage of skilled STEM labour, and a mismatch between the location of new growth and transition-vulnerable rural communities.

The document identifies systemic barriers to decarbonizing Canada's electricity grid, including misaligned utility mandates, vested interests, siloed planning, and market access restrictions. It recommends implementing system-wide decarbonization mandates, technology-neutral Clean Electricity Standards, and performance-based regulation to incentivize innovation. The paper also emphasizes the need for improved interprovincial transmission and larger grid-balancing regions to integrate variable renewable energy.

The document outlines the role of CCUS in low-carbon scenarios, noting its potential to contribute 4% of global CO2 reductions by 2030 and 12% by 2050. It highlights that while CCUS has historically underperformed, investment is increasing, with a global market potentially reaching $4–$10 billion by 2026-27. Canada is positioned as having an early advantage due to expertise in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), geological storage in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and early adoption in coal-fired electricity and oil sands. Notable investments include $685 million for a network in Norway and significant funding for Direct Air Capture (DAC) from the US, UK, and private entities.

The document argues that while Canada has made progress in decarbonizing power supply, achieving net-zero requires Energy Systems Integration (ESI)—the coordination of energy systems across multiple pathways and scales. It examines five key ESI technologies (electric vehicles, heat pumps, demand response, distributed generation, and hydrogen) and finds that Canadian policy is currently too siloed, relying on voluntary 'soft' incentives rather than systemic market reforms or mandatory legislation. The author highlights significant gaps in information, governance, and implementation, suggesting that a holistic, pan-system approach to modelling and planning is essential to avoid sub-optimal infrastructure lock-in.